Top 10 Most Famous African Dictators Who Have Been Dubbed The Worst Of Their Time

Throughout history, mankind has always tried to break free. Africa has a never-ending dance of people whose revolutionary acts have set their people free, those who have become the modern messiahs, only to enslave the very people they needed to save. Here is a list of 10 dictators of Africa who used to be saviors of their countries.

10.CharlesTaylor

The first of many is Charles Taylor. Charles’ full name is Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor and he was the 22nd President of Liberia. Charles ruled for eight years from 1997 to 2003. Taylor was born on January 28, 1948 in a small town near Monrovia Liberia. Before becoming President of Liberia, Charles was the leader of a rebel group known as the National Patriotic Front of Liberia. Charles Taylor has been accused of being a war criminal who committed multiple atrocities and crimes against humanity. This is due to his involvement in the Sierra Leone civil war that took place between 1991 and 2002. Charles Taylor was finally found guilty at the International Criminal Court in The Hague in 2012 on all eleven charges, ranging from terrorism to the conscription or recruitment of children under the age of 15 into armed forces or groups or taking an active part in hostilities, violence against the life, health and physical or mental well-being of persons, particularly cruel treatment and in May this year he was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He is considered one of the worst dictators in Africa of the 21st century

9. Paul Biya

Paul hails from Cameroon and was born on February 13, 1933. Politics has always been in Biya’s blood and he has managed to be President for multiple terms. Since November 6, 1982 he is President of Cameroon forces like a tyrant. He rules with his authoritarian fist, allowing him to push essentially any policy he deems necessary. While not the worst, Biya is one of the most prominent examples of authoritarianism. “Tyrants, the 20 Worst Living Dictators in the World” by David Wallechinsky ranked Biya along with three others mostly in sub-Saharan Africa: Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea and King Mswati of Swaziland. He also ranked 19th in Parade magazine’s Top 20 list “

8.Robert Mugabe

Uncle Roo is the epitome of a tyrant, having been in power since 1980. Robert Gabriel Mugabe is a man who needs no introduction. Mugabe is a strange man when it comes to dictators. He has the illusion of democracy on one side while oppressing the white Zimbabwean people on the other. Robert Mugabe has been seen as racist towards white people and targets white citizens in various ways. To make it even more confusing, some Africans regard Mugabe as a hero in their eyes. Mugabe has committed many crimes against human rights, according to news sources. In Mugabe’s words, he described lesbians and gay men as “worse than dogs and pigs”. Though his worst crimes exercise his authoritarian power, to rob the whites of their wealth and property. On the international scene, he is viewed by many, especially whites, as one of Africa’s worst dictators.

7. General Sani Abacha

Abacha hails from Nigeria and although he only held power for a scant five years, managing to commit crimes throughout his life during that time. He stated that his government was above the law and basically did what he wanted. Sanni Abacha has been dubbed “the West African powerhouse’s most brutal dictator ” by political pundits. He ruled his nation with impunity. Although unconfirmed, it is rumored from official sources that the senior military officer died in a sexual altercation with Indian prostitutes. He will always be remembered for the 1995 killing of political and environmental activist Ken Saro Wiwa. He was also responsible for $5 billion in stolen funds. It is believed that his family still holds a significant portion of these ill-gotten gains. General Sani Abacha is one of Africa’s worst dictators.

6. Sekou Toure

Sekou Toure was only supposed to be President of Guinea for four years. He managed to rule for three decades from 1958 to 1984. He declared Guinea a one-party state. Toure was another case in point for what was originally considered a “Guinean Messiah” but later became a pain to his people. Toure, who was once the leader of the Pan-African movement and consistently opposed colonial powers, befriended African-American activists like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael, to whom he offered asylum. He is survived by the Guineans, who fled the country to escape the death camps imposed under his watch. Many of his political opponents were executed in these camps.

5. Macias Nguema

Macias Nguema was the son of a witch doctor. Nguema was the first President of Guinea. While not as brutal as other dictators, he managed to commit some of the craziest crimes. His crimes include persecuting the former lovers of his mistresses. Other crimes he committed were intellectual murders, killing his country’s intellectuals. According to reports, more than a third of Equatorial Guinea’s population had to flee to other countries to escape his brutal rule. It was also reported that he ordered the execution of entire families and villages, during his reign the country had neither a development plan nor a proper accounting system for government funds. Macias Nguema didn’t trust anyone he spent most of his time in his ancestral village of Mongomo, where he kept the treasury just under his bed or in suitcases in his hut, but on August 18, 1979 he met his end at the hands of his own nephew, who sentenced him to death. His nephew Teodoro Obiang Nguema is still in power today.

4. Siad Barre

Siad Barre was a man who seized and stayed in powerHe was in power from October 21, 1969 to January 26, 1991. He embraced socialism to meet the so-called needs of Somalia. His influences came from countries like China and Russia. Although he has tried many good things, Barre has committed a significant amount of human rights abuses, such as imprisoning dissidents. Barre was also well known for using his power to eliminate any opposition or people he just didn’t like. Barre died in political exile in 1995 but was returned to Somalia to be buried in his native region.

3. Omar Al-Bashir

Omar Al-Bashir is a more recent case of dictators. His biggest call to fame came on March 4, 2009 when he received a warrant for his arrest. Omar has been charged with seven crimes against humanity. Omar planned to commit genocide against multiple ethnic groups such as the Massalit and Zaghawa groups. Omar is viewed by many today as one of Africa’s worst dictators.

2. Hissene Habre

Hissene Habre is one of those dictators who didn’t do too much but is still a bad dictator. His rise to power came from Libya invading Chad. Habre and his troops defeated Libyan troops and sent them packing in November 1981. However, many human rights groups blame Habre for killing thousands of people. These killings include massacres of Hadjerai and Zaghawa. The Human Rights Watch accused him of authorizing the murders of tens of thousands of people and torturing them while under his rule.

1. General Idi Amin Dada of Uganda

000 people were killed. He was born in Koboko Uganda in the mid-1920s and died on August 18, 2003. This butcher made his mark on the world by using his infamous assassination squads to assassinate his opponents and their families. He showed no mercy to anyone. The scariest thing about Amin was his ability to go from a gentleman to an incredibly angry person without provocation. Amin is someone who has been described as erratic, unpredictable, and outspoken. After the United Kingdom severed all diplomatic ties with its regime in 1977, Amin declared that he had defeated the British and bestowed upon himself this full title: This butcher left his mark on the world by using his infamous assassination squads to assassinate his opponents and their families. He showed no mercy to anyone. The scariest thing about Amin was his ability to go from a gentleman to an incredibly angry person without provocation. Amin is someone who has been described as erratic, unpredictable, and outspoken. After the United Kingdom severed all diplomatic ties with its regime in 1977, Amin declared that he had defeated the British and bestowed upon himself this full title: This butcher left his mark on the world by using his infamous assassination squads to assassinate his opponents and their families. He showed no mercy to anyone. The scariest thing about Amin was his ability to go from a gentleman to an incredibly angry person without provocation. Amin is someone who has been described as erratic, unpredictable, and outspoken. After the United Kingdom severed all diplomatic ties with its regime in 1977, Amin declared that he had defeated the British and bestowed upon himself this full title: to go from being a gentleman to being incredibly angry without provocation. Amin is someone who has been described as erratic, unpredictable, and outspoken. After the United Kingdom severed all diplomatic ties with its regime in 1977, Amin declared that he had defeated the British and bestowed upon himself this full title: to go from being a gentleman to being incredibly angry without provocation. Amin is someone who has been described as erratic, unpredictable, and outspoken. After the United Kingdom severed all diplomatic ties with its regime in 1977, Amin declared that he had defeated the British and bestowed upon himself this full title:

“His Excellency President for Life Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of all the beasts of the earth and the fish of the seas and conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in general and Uganda in particular”